The investigation into betting on illegal websites by certain footballers continues. La Gazzetta dello Sport writes:
“Nicolò Fagioli borrowed a total of 587,000 euros from 31 people, and the question arises naturally: how did he do it? Now there’s at least a partial answer: Fagioli was offering Rolex watches to buy at advantageous prices and resell quickly at a higher price. Sometimes, he mentioned the name of Álvaro Morata, his teammate at Juventus. [...] To Alberto Esposito, for example, he said: ‘Through Álvaro Morata, I find Rolex watches for much less and then he sells them back to me. I’ve been doing this investment with him for a year. And since I’ve hit my limit, I can’t do it alone this time. In two or three months, we’ll make the money back.’" The friendship between Fagioli and Morata during their years at Juventus was known, but Álvaro in this investigation has this strange external role: he does not appear among Fagioli’s lenders but is mentioned as a supplier of watches.”
Nicolò Fagioli, Fiorentina midfielder, and Sandro Tonali, now at Newcastle, “in addition to having placed numerous bets” on illegal platforms, are alleged to have acted as “collectors of bettors” and are said to have been “compensated with bonuses on their gaming accounts” and with debt reductions.
This emerges from the documents of the Milan investigation. The two are under investigation for charges that also concern the “public promotion” of the illegal betting ring, whereas all the others are considered “mere bettors.”
The latter include twenty individuals in total, not just footballers but also other athletes, as relayed via ANSA.
Morata's denial
Regarding what was reported this morning by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Álvaro Morata published a clear denial on his social media channels:
“I’ve seen the information being spread about me and I want to clarify that the only thing I’ve helped Fagioli with over the years has been giving him advice about his career—as a friend and as someone with more experience than him… I never knew anything about his situation. I care a lot about Nicolò and I hope he can make up for all his mistakes soon, but I have nothing to do with his situation and I kindly ask that false news or lies not be spread. I repeat: I deny all the information that has come out because it is false. Thank you.”
